The existence of a card game in Teyvat is nothing new to Genshin Impact fans. Characters such as Arataki Itto, Cyno and Kamisato Ayato were known for being huge fans of said game since their debut, and that silly habit soon grew to become a fully fleshed-out game mode for the main game.
This is not the endgame we wished for, but it may be the one we needed. The mode is finally being introduced in 3.3 as a permanent addition to the game complete with its own systems, rewards, and more. You can also play with other players, even though Hoyoverse isn’t offering any real incentive for it.
Information surrounding this new feature is still not concrete, but here’s all we know about the Genius Invokation TCG up until now.
What is Genius Invokation TCG in Genshin Impact?
Genshin is very anime-inspired and it couldn’t be different when it comes to card games. If you ever watched an episode of Yu-Gi-Oh, you can grasp the basic concepts of this game. You play your creatures into the field to battle against your opponent, supplying them with other special cards until you defeat them all. Also, people get extremely hyped and invested in it, you know the drill.
In order to make the game appealing for players, all of the cards are themed around elements you can find in the regular game. Your creatures are named Character Cards and are based around playable characters or enemy monsters you find through the game.
They are complemented by Support Cards, Equipment Cards, or Event Cards, themed around NPCs, Artifact Sets, or even whole regions. An elemental system is also present in the game as it was presented to us during the 3.3 Special Live Program.
Related: All Genius Invokation TCG cards listed
How does the game work?
Each player picks 3 Characters Cards to make their team, and the goal is to defeat the opponent. Each character has a Normal Attack, an Elemental Skill, and an Elemental Burst, which inflict their own element to the opponent. Inflicting two different elements triggers a Reaction, just like in a regular battle.
On each round, both players roll 8 Elemental Dice containing 8 sides each, one for each game element plus an exclusive Omni Element. This is how you get “energy” for your actions. You can only use a Pyro skill if you rolled enough Pyro dice, for example. And of course, the Omni Element works as the Joker here.
The dice can also be used to perform other actions, such as playing other cards or changing the active character.
What are the rewards for playing?
You get Player Experience for each completed match, and that increases your Player level (separated from your AR), allowing you to play against new opponents, obtain new cards and get other rewards such as Primogems.
Opponents are scattered around the many areas of the game, each of them providing their own level of challenge and different strategies. You can also have matches against other players, but those won’t count towards any rewards and don’t offer anything. It’s all up to the community to prepare tournaments or smaller events around the game.
Related: Genshin Impact 3.3: Release date, Banners, Events and more
Cards are obtained through Lucky Coins, a TCG-exclusive currency you get by playing matches. They can also be used to buy Dynamic Skins, which are special effects for your card’s actions, such as an animated Burst.
That’s all officially revealed about the game to this moment. At first glance, it seems to drink from games such as Hearthstone and Pokemon TCG for inspiration, which sets it up as a potential success as a card game. It all comes down to how the game will be supported, and if the rewards will be worthwhile past the “aight, got my Primos, I’mma head out” point.
